Harm reduction vending machine will dispense free, lifesaving tools to help prevent overdose deaths
In a new approach to distribute life-saving harm reduction tools in Eau Claire County, two local agencies have partnered to install a vending machine that will distribute free Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
The Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office and the Eau Claire City-County Health Department are collaborating to make the vending machine available to the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The vending machine is located in the front lobby of the Eau Claire County Jail, 710 2nd Ave., Eau Claire.
Anyone can enter the lobby to access the machine between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily. For lobby access after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends, people can press a button to be buzzed in by a dispatcher. The vending machine is programmed to dispense Narcan and fentanyl test strips for free. Anyone can use the machine with no questions asked, at any time of day.
What’s available at the vending machine:
Narcan, also called naloxone, is a lifesaving medication that can reverse a known or suspected opioid overdose. Narcan is a nasal spray that is easy to administer and legal to carry in Wisconsin.
Fentanyl test strips can detect the presence of fentanyl, a very strong opioid, in other drugs. Test strips are dipped into a small portion of a drug that’s dissolved in water, and within minutes, a person can know if the drug contains fentanyl. Drugs mixed with fentanyl are the leading cause of overdose deaths in Wisconsin.
Along with Narcan and fentanyl test strips, the vending machine will also dispense instructions and training on how to use both tools. Instructions are available in English, Hmong, and Spanish
The impact of opioid misuse on communities has been devastating. Fentanyl-related overdose is now the top cause of death in Wisconsin residents ages 25 to 54, a recent study found. In Eau Claire County, opioid-related deaths increased by 83% between 2015 and 2021. Making overdose prevention tools like Narcan and fentanyl test strips widely available is one step we can take to respond to the impact of drug use and involve our community in prevention efforts.